Process of making combs.



PATBNTED JUNE 12, 1906.

W. M. STONE. PROCESS OF MAKING COMES.

.APPLIGATION FILED DEC. 29, 1904 3 SHEETS-SHEET 1 N QM No. 823,001. PATENTED JUNE 12, 1906. M. STONE.

PROCESS OF MAKING GOMBS.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 29, 1904 3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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3 SHEETS SHEET 3.

PATENTED JUNE 12, 1906. W. M. STONE. I PROCESS OF MAKING COMES.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 29, 1904' (Z 42:21:41? "\"Qiil .5 r- 79 WZZWZJ'JWS: flunk UNITED STATES rnnr orrron WILBUR M. STONE, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO ARLINGTON COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

PROCESS OF MAKING COMBS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed December 29, 1904. Serial No. 238,824.

To on whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WILBUR M. STONE, a citizen ofthe United States, residing in New York, N. Y., have invented a new and useful Process of Making Combs, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to the manufacture of combs, particularly such combs as are adapted to be held in the hand for use in combing and arranging human hair and for the cleaning thereof.

My invention has for its object to provide an improved method for suplying a combblank with teeth and teet -spaces and for grailing the teeth-spaces.

In the practice of my improved process any one of a variety of machines may be employed; but I prefer to use such a one as is illustrated in one of its embodiments in the drawings accompanying this specification.

Figure 1 thereof is a plan view. Fig. 2 is a side sectional elevation on line a a of Fig. 1 and looking in the direction of arrow A therein. Fig. 3 is a side sectional elevation on line b b, Fig. 1, and looking in the direction of arrow 13 therein. tion showing the Work-holding jaws and latch mechanism. Fig. 5 is a detail elevation of the plunger-bracket. Figs. 6, 7, 8, 9, 1'0, and 11 are a series of diagrammatic side elevations illustrating successive steps in the practice of my improved process. Fig. 12 is an enlarged cross-section of a comb-blank sawed, but not grailed'.

My improvement, while applicable to the manufacture of combs of a wide variety of material, is peculiarly adapted to the manufacture of combs composed of celluloid, pyralin, or similar material which, as is well known, when heated becomes soft and pliable. In the formation of comb-blanks these properties are desirable and greatly facilitate the making of such blanks in molds or by similar means; but in the process of sawing the teeth-spaces in the combs these properties are undesirable and have heretofore greatly hindered production, as the friction incident to the rapid revolution of the saw against the celluloid in the cutting thereof generates so much heat that it is necessary to use great care and to run the saws with a stream of water flowing upon the cutting edges thereof to keep the celluloid cool, and thereby prevent the tooth or teeth Fig. 4 is a detail rear eleva-- when being separated at their sides from the blank or from adjacent teeth from becoming soft and being bent out of place or broken. So great has been this difficulty that it has heretofore been the usual practice to use only one saw at a time and to out only one toothspace at a time, which is manifestlya slow and therefore an expensive operation. By my improved process I am able not only to cut a number or all of the teeth of a comb at one time, but am also able to do so without the use of water or any other cooling or lubricating medium.

My improved process comprises a eculiar presentation of the comb-blank to t e saws, whereby a substantial portion of material between the comb-teeth is cut away before the teeth or the points thereof are separated. The teeth are thereby efliciently sustained against breakage or injurious bending during the cutting operation. Also by very materially reducing the speed of the saws and the feed of the blank thereon I minimize the tendency to produce frictional heat to such an eXtent that I am able to practice my improved process Without the use of water or other cooling or lubricating medium on the saws.

Another feature of my improved process comprises the feeding of the comb-blank onto the saws and away therefrom in such a manner as to produce simultaneously with the teeth separation that peculiar shape on each side of the comb and between the roots of the teeth thereof known as grailings.

My improved process of simultaneous sawing of a plurality of teeth-spaces may be practiced without the additional improvement of grailing or in connection therewith, as desired.

The machine which I have chosen to illustrate as being one form of machine which may be used in the practice of my improved process comprises a bed-plate 2', provided with upstanding brackets 3 4, in which are formed bearings for main shaft 5. On said shaft may be fixed, by means of a set-screw 7, pulley 6, to which power may be communicated by means of the usual belt. Shaft 5 is provided with a head 8, collar 9, and nut 10 for preventing end play of said shaft in its bearings and for taking up wear. In the head end of'such shaft is also provided a hole or socket 11, preferably tapered for the reception of one end of saw-mandrel 12. Said mandrel is preferably provided with ears, as 13, for engagement with corresponding slots 14 in head 8 of shaft 5. By these means power may be transmitted with certainty and precision to saw-mandrel 12. The outboard end of saw-mandrel 12 may be supported by bracket 16, which bracket has a suitable bearing 17 therefor. Said bracket is removably secured. to bed-plate 2 by means of screw 18. Mounted. upon mandrel 1.2 is one or more saws 19, and if more than one, said saws may be separated, respectively, from their neighbors by means of washers 20. Also in this case the thickness of said. washers will determine the thickness of the teeth of the comb or other article to be sawed. Saws 19 and washers 20 may be adjusted. endwise on mandrel 12 and tightly secured thereon by and between adjusting screw-collar 21, which is provided with an internal screwthread for engagement with a corresponding external screw-thread 22 on mandrel 12 and collar 23 and nut 24.

Situated near the front part of the machine and mounted on bed-plate 2 for movement toward and away from saws 19 is workcarriage 25. This carriage is constrained for travel back and forth in a right line by gibs 26 27, which engage with edges 28 29, respectively, of said carriage. Said gibs may be secured in position by means of screws, as 30. Carriage is preferably provided with rearwardly-reaching portions 94 95 to furnish length of contact with gibs 26 27, respectively. Upstanding on carriage 25 are boxes 32 33, having caps 34 35, respectively, secured thereto by means of screws, as 36. In these boxes is revolubly supported work-arbor 37. Said arbor has a U-shaped portion 38, suitably shaped to form one member of a pair of work-gripping jaws, and pivoted therein on pin 39 is clamp-j aw for coaction with jaw portion 38 of work-arbor'37. Clamp-j aw 40 is preferably pivoted somewhat remote from the work-holding portion thereof to allow of proper leverage for the locking means. Said locking means for jaws 38 40 may be of any suitable form; but I prefer to use a latch 41, Fig. 4, pivotally mounted. on pin 42, projecting from the axially-facing side of jaw 38. Jaw 40 is provided with a post 43, over which latch 41 may pass, and thereby lock jaws 38 40 together to clamp any com.bblank or other article placed 'therebetween. Surface 44 of latch 41 is preferably made to approach toward pin 42 as said surface departs from the free end of said latch, whereby the farther said free end is forced over post 43 the closer said jaws will be drawn together. Said latch 41 is preferably provided with a handle or button 45 and a pin 46 thereon, so that after said latch has been thrust by hand as far as possible over post 43 a lever 47 may be introduced between said handle 45 and pin 46 and said latch forced over an additional distance thereby, causing jaws 38 40 to grip the work more securely. Said latch may also be provided with a stop-ear 48 for enga ement with post 49 on jaw 38 to prevent said latch swing ing open too far.

One of the difliculties heretofore experi enced in sawing a plurality of teeth at one time in combs, particularly those composed of celluloid or similar material, was the tendency of the comb-teeth to be broken off by friction with the sides of the saws. l/Vith this difficulty in view I retain those portions of the blank that are to compose the comb-teeth integral with a the web of the blank as late as possible in the sawing operation, so that said teeth may be supported against the side friction of the saws. I accomplish this by revolving the workarbor, preferably upwardly, toward the saws by the following means: On said work-arbor 37 is secured mutilated worm-gear 50 for engagement with worm 51 on cross-shaft 52. Near the rearward end of said shaft 52 is fixed worm-gear 53 for engagement with worm 54, held on shaft 5 between collar 9 and nut 10. VVorm-shaft 52 is revolubly supported at its rearward end 55 in bearing 56, pivoted at pin 57 between cars 58 on bed-plate 2. Said wormshaft is yieldably supported at its forward end in a verticallyslidable box 59 and which box is guided betweenwalls 60 60 of bracket 61. Said box 59 is urged upwardly by spring 62 thereunder. Said work-arbor 37 may thus be revolved through the arc of engagement of blank O with cutters 19 through the train of gears just described. Also mutilated worm- V gear 50 may at any time be freed from engagement with worm 51 by forcing box 59 downwardly until said worm is removed from engagement with the teeth of gear 50. One

end of a spring 63 is attached to pin 64, suitably located in cam 75, and the other end of said spring to post 96, so that when the last tooth of mutilated worm-gear 50 passes out of engagement with worm 51 said spring will revolve work-arbor 37 to its idle position, Fig. 11. Said spring is also efficient during the sawing operation, Fig. 2, to take up any backlash that may be present in the gearing.

The work-arbor is brought gently to a state of rest at its idle position by the following means: Mounted on pin 65 in ear 66 is plun ger-bracket 67. Ear 66 is held fast to member of carriage 25 by screw 71. bracket 67 is provided at its upper end with a plunger 68 for engagement with pin 92 on cam 75. Said plunger is provided with a.

head 69 for engagement with shoulder 70 within bracket 67. Said bracket is provided at its lower end with a second plunger 72 for impinging against the upper face of carriage 25. A thrust-spring 73 within bracket 67 is effective to force said plungers in opposite directions and to urge the plunger-bracket to its operative position. A lug 76 on bracket Plunger- 7 67 is provided for engagement with post 77 on ear 66 to prevent plunger 68 from swinging into contact with cam 75. v

The present machine is efficient not only to saw oneor more teeth-spaces, Fig. 12, at one operation, but is also efficient to so round the bottoms of the teeth-slots C, Fig. 11, that no lodgment for dirt is afforded therein. This rounding operation, called grailing, has heretofore been usually performed by hand with a file or other tool, and was therefore a slow and expensive operation but by my improved process the sawing and grailing maybe done at one operation in much less time and with greater uniformity than by hand- The grailing portion of the'operation is accomplished by the following means: As hereinbefore stated, carriage 25 is mounted for movement toward and away from the saws, and which movement properly governed and timed enables the saws to cut the desired profile at the bottoms of the teeth-slots. Fixed at eachend of work-arbor 37 is a cam 74 at one end and 75 at the other end. Rearward of said cams are mounted rolls for engagement therewith. Roll 78 for engagement with cam 7 4 is supported in bracket 80, screwed to bed-plate 2, and roll 79 for engagement with cam 75 is supported in bracket 16. Said rolls arefor convenience mounted for forward and backward adjustment by means of socket-holders, as 81, in which they are pivoted, and said holders are slidably mounted in hubs, as 82, in their respective brackets, as 16. Said socket-holders are prevented from turning by means of keys, as 83, in engagement {with suitable keyways, as 84, in their respective bracket-hubs. The usual setscrews, as 85, and lock-nuts, as 86, may be provided to accomplish the adjustment of the rolls. Cams 74 75 may be urged to engagement with their respective rolls by means of push-springs, as 87, impinging against carriage 25 at the rear thereof. Said springs are urged to their work by means of collars, as 88, on rods, as 89. Said rods are adjustably secured in posts, as 90, on bed-plate 2 by means of set-screws, as 91. Thus as workarbor 37 is revolved it, with carriage 25, will be moved backward and forward relative to the saws in accordance with the profiles of cams 74 75. Said cam-profiles should be alike, and said cams should be set in the same relation to work-arbor 37, so that carriage 25 will be moved in parallelism with the axis of the saws.

As illustrated, the machine is provided with saws each having a semicircular cutting-profile but it is obvious that in the practice of my improved process any other cutting-profile could be equally well employed. Also by removing rolls 78 79 and securing carriage 25 against movingby screwing gibs 26 27 securely down onto the edges thereof a comb with sawed, but ungrailed teeth-spaces,

Fig. 12, could be made. The present machine is arranged to saw at one operation only about one-half the teeth in a combblank of ordinary length; but it is obvious that the saw-mandrel could be lengthened and more cutters supplied and the holding-jaws for the blank lengthened, so that more or all the teeth could be sawed at once. The ordinary comb of commerce has comparatively coarse teeth for about one-half its length and comparatively fine teeth for the balance of its length. For several reasons I consider it better in the practice of my improved process to saw the coarse teeth-slots in one operation and the fine teeth-slots in another operation and have therefore illustrated the present machine as particularly adapted for such procedure.

The practice of my improved process of sawing and grailing at one operation is carried out as follows: A comb-blank or other article to be slotted is clamped between jaws 38 40 of work-arbor 37 while said work-arbor is in its idle position, Fig. 11. Plungerbracket 67 is then swung by hand toward the right, Fig. 5, to allow stop-pin 92 to pass plunger 68. Shaft 5 is now started revolving in the direction of the arrow on saw 19, Fig. 2, and work-arbor 37 is revolved by hand in the direction of the arrow on cam 7 5, Fig. 2, until the teeth of mutilated worm-gear 50 pass into engagement with worm 51 on shaft 52. Spring 63 is then under tension and blank 0 is about to be fed into engagement with the saws, Fig. 6,.with work-arbor 37 moving toward said saws, as allowed by the approach of low parts of cams 74 75 to their respective rolls. Work-arbor 37 continuing its revolution, said cams allow carriage 25 and workarbor 37 to present blank C to the saws, so that the grailing upon one side of the blank is out, together with a considerable portion of the teeth-slots, Fig. 7. Continuing its revolution, work-arb or 37 now presents high parts of cams 74 75 to their respective rolls, and blankC is therebybaeked away from the saws and the bottoms of the teeth-slots fashioned, as at C in Fig. 8. Arbor 37 now continues its revolution until the second low parts of cams 74 75, respectively, are presented to their rolls, at which time the grailing of the second side of the blank is accomplished and the teeth-slots completed, Fig. 9. The onward feed of the work-arbor continues until the blank is free of the saws, Fig. 10, when the teeth of mutilated worm-gear 50 pass out of engagement with worm 51, and spring 63 pulls work-arbor 25 over until pin 92 impinges against plunger 68, compressing the spring thereunder and presently comes to a state of rest, Fig. 11, ready to have the sawed blank removed. and a new one substituted. If now it is desired to practice only the sawing portion of my improved operation, cam-rolls 78 79 are removed, gib-screws 30 screwed down manners. user to hold carriage 25 rigidly in one position, and the machine started as before. The combblank will then be fed upwardly about the fixed axis of work-arbor 37 and substantially straight-bottomed slots sawed therethrough, Fig. 12.

I claim- 1. The process of sawing the teeth-spaces in a comb-blank and in grailing both sides of the roots of said spaces, comprised in presenting the face of the blank first to the saws thus grailing one side simultaneously with the sawing of the teeth-spaces, then simultaneously withdrawing and turning the blank to complete the sawing and then advancing the blank for grailing the opposite sides of the teeth-spaces.

2. The process of sawing a tooth-space in a comb-blank and in grailing both sides of the root of said space, comprised in presenting the face of the blank first to the saw thus grailing one side simultaneously with the sawing of the toothspace, then simultaneously withdrawing and turning the blank to com plete the sawing and then advancing the blank for grailing the opposite side of the tooth-space.

Signed at New York, N. Y. this 17th day of December, 1904, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

WILBUR M. STONE. Witnesses:

WM. E. MoRnYnoLns, CHAs. W. LA Run. 

